Armonk IBM is pitching technology to corporations to reduce waste in their buildings, with tools to make water mains — even door locks — more efficient.

The company plans to create "command centres" for buildings that go beyond managing data, Armonk, New York-based IBM said last week.

The centres can monitor cooling and heating systems, security breaches, printing costs and fire hydrants to help buildings reduce their carbon footprint.

IBM, the world's largest computer-services provider, estimates the "smart" building market, where a variety of systems are embedded with efficiency intelligence, will double to $6 billion by 2015 from this year.

Buildings account for 70 per cent of energy use and 38 per cent of carbon dioxide emissions in the US, more than from cars, IBM said. Companies need to be more mindful of resources they use, said IBM's Al Zollar.

Economic dimension

"There's an economic dimension to that and there's also a responsible dimension to it," Zollar, general manager of Tivoli, the company's infrastructure management software unit, said in an interview. "There's an opportunity to manage them much better."

IBM Chief Executive Officer Sam Palmisano has been pushing the company's "Smarter Planet" programme, based on the idea that anything can be digitally monitored and made more efficient.

Johnson Controls, the world's largest maker of automotive seating and batteries, is integrating IBM technology with its own to help customers analyse energy use and building performance, IBM said.

The company is also working with Ricoh, the Japanese office equipment maker, on a device and printing management system to monitor print-related costs.

The Tennessee Valley Authority, the largest US public power company, is using IBM software to manage and maintain information technology and physical assets across its power facilities, including nuclear and wind, IBM said.

Colleen Haikes, a spokeswoman for IBM, declined to provide financial terms for the contracts.

IBM shares have dropped 3.1 per cent this year, after climbing 56 per cent last year.